Thanksgiving of Rapture
by MysticForest44
Summary: Then, she whispered to him in a soft voice: "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." AllenxRio/Rachel Long one-shot(?)


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any characters here except for Yuo. If I did, I'd definitely make all my favorite bachelor's dialogues extra romantic to the highest level. I also do not own the choco lava and the line that was from Romeo and Juliet.**

**THANKSGIVING OF RAPTURE**

Allen sighed exasperatedly. He didn't expect it turn out like this. He definitely didn't. He definitely didn't mean to rudely accuse his girlfriend of stealing something the exact day before Thanksgiving Day. Definitely not. And now, he's on the act of frantically running around town, collecting and buying the things that he need to serve as the present for Rio, and for an 'I am incredibly sorry so will you forgive me' gift, too.

As he continued circling around his secret garden that he and Rio decided to build for themselves, plucking flowers neatly from the well-cared bushes, he cursed continuously under his breath. "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!"

The handsome hair-stylist does not usually curse. In fact, he avoids it as best as he can; but now seems to be a special moment in which he completely forgot all about his etiquettes. The sole reason for Allen's different personality is the fact that he was getting very forgetful lately. Well, he couldn't help it, considering the fact that a lot of confidential things are occupying his mind nowadays…

But then again, he still hated himself at this very moment.

_Flashback_

_Allen almost pulled his hair in frustration. 'Where could that accursed hair tie be?!' He yelled in his mind._

_He almost cursed violently as he flipped open every container and peeked under every gap, hoping for a simple hair ornament to magically appear for him. _

_Well, he could easily just forget about it and move on to his life, but unfortunately, he couldn't. That accessory, you see, is a very expensive and important hair tie Olivia got from her rich fiancé. She came back earlier to tell Allen that she forgot it at the salon, but he couldn't find it so he told her to come back later while he search for it. But now, he'd been searching his entire house for two whole damn hours. He's pissed, and it's starting to affect him badly. _

_Just then, the bell of his door rang, telling him that someone just went in. He whipped his head towards the source and his eyes softened as he watched his girlfriend come in, twirling her soft curls between her fingers. Oh, how he loved them. Those long, beautiful fingers that are so soft they feel like velvet whenever they run through his neck, hair, or his bare torso. They were so fast working, yet so elegant at moving; they could probably snatch something away without anyone knowing…_

_And then it hit him like a red brick._

_He snapped out of his lovestruck trance, all his worries about a certain accessory came rushing back to him like a waterfall. There could only be one explanation. Yes, that's it._

"_Love, I seem to have singed a bit of the tips of my hair while grilling a fish… If you would be kind as to-"_

_She was cut off by her boyfriend's right hand slamming the door, making her trapped between him and the mahogany wood. He put a finger under her chin to lift it up and face him. He stared at her shocked eyes, rivaling it with his angry ones._

"_Rionella Rachel Tomlinson." He whispered in her ears. Normally, her face would heat up and she'd sigh contently, but this was not one of those times; she winced at him._

"_Now, will you kindly pull it out of your pockets? It's very simple, you just hand it over." He said with forced calm demeanor._

_Rio looked at him quizzically. "What?" She asked._

_Allen's lips twisted into a lopsided smirk and he leaned closer to her. "Don't deny it. I know you 'borrowed' Olivia's hair tie when you came in earlier. Guess what, princess- or should I say bandit princess- she's looking for it. Give it back."_

_Her eyes widened at him, and then her face darkened. "Did you just accuse me of stealing?" She said mistily. _

_It was soft, but enough for him to hear. "Yes, I know you wanted a hair tie like that, you said it before to me. You know, I was about to give you something like that for our anniversary; I thought you could wait a little. I never knew you were that desperate to actually steal it from Olivia! What, you thought I'd never be able to afford something like—"_

"_SLAP!" _

_Allen slowly lifted his left hand to his right cheek and winced, it hurt like hell._

"_How dare you! How dare you accuse me of something as… as vulgar!" She sucked her breath, her face reddening from rage. "Yes, I did tell you I liked it, but I would NEVER do something as lowly! YOU, out of all people, SHOULD KNOW THAT!" She yelled at his face. "AND YOU CALL YOURSELF MY BOYFRIEND!"_

_She panted, then wiped her eyes and scrunched her nose before turning her heels and stomping away._

_Allen stood there, unmoving, dumbstruck. He stared at nothing, taking his time to absorb what the hell just happened. Then, it hit him again like a white brick this time. Rio would never do something like that. She was the most honest person he ever knew, and he adored her for that. Hell, she even admitted what color her underwear was when he jokingly asked before they were even a couple. _

_He shook his head and scanned his surroundings for his girlfriend, but found no sign of her. He even went to her house and told her he would sleep on her doorstep if she didn't forgive him. Turns out, he was threatening no one at all for Yuri picked up Rio's phone when he called and told him that she was staying at Yuri and Hart's. After much begging and persuasion outside Yuri's house (Rio refused to let him in) he gave up and decided to call it a day but before he slept, he received a call from Olivia, telling him not to worry about it and that she forgot that she already placed it in her pocket when he was busy styling her. He almost crushed his phone after that._

Allen gave an irritated growl after collecting all the necessary materials/ingredients and ran inside his salon, which he decided to close for the day because he completely forgot that it was thanksgiving day today and he didn't prepare Rio anything because of his hair tie problem. He didn't want another excuse for her to get madder, especially since he's planning to-…

He knitted his brows together as he focused on preparing his best chocolate recipe: Choco Lava. Purely original, invented by his Excellency Allen. It was an extremely difficult recipe, really. That's why he didn't bother making it for simple days. But now is different, he really need that forgiveness, and the cake will surely knock her over.

After a whole two hours of making and baking the decent sized cake, he pushed it in his refrigerator and did the rest of his plans. After he finished all the other tasks, too, he took out the cake and wrapped it carefully and beautifully. Then, he placed everything on his table. He looked over at them and smirked a wide one. Wasting his time from five o'clock to eleven for this is definitely worth it.

* * *

Rio finished her chores for the day. She was now walking along the stone pathway towards Yuri, her best friend, and Hart's, her brother, house. She was whistling happily to herself when she happened to pass by a certain salon. Her blood boiled at the sight so she huffed and angrily walked over to where her destination is.

Unfortunately, the place where she should be going is quite far, so a certain redheaded boyfriend of hers had the time to sneak around her and hug her waist tight. She smelled the familiar scent of Acqua Di Gio that she oh so loved… before yesterday.

She pried his arms away from her and started walking away, but he got in front of her easily and showed her a single peony.

"Princess, will you accept this generous offering of mine and forgi—"

He was cut off by her stalking past him and flipping her hair so that it would whip his face. He pursed his lips and readjusted his glasses before blocking his girlfriend's way one more time. She impatiently rolled her eyes at him and tapped her foot with her arms crossed. "What the hell do you want, Allen Hilbert Strathmore?"

Allen stood high in front of Rio that she actually felt quite intimidated, but she kept her stance. "Oh come on. You were so lucky as to have me actually kneel and beg for you yesterday, but you just ignored me. Today, you should feel even luckier for I'm considering on reenacting the action just so you would forgive me. Here, take this chocolate as proof of my sincerity." He said and kneeled on both knees while holding the chocolate wrapped in shiny cellophane.

Rio's eyes sparkled with delight for a split-second, but it quickly returned to fury. Her upper lip curled and she sneered at him. She stuck her nose high in the air and continued walking, ignoring him like some sort of foul trash.

He was frozen in his spot, kneeling and all that while a few villagers who happened to pass by showed him different emotions: Neil was shocked; Rod was sympathetic; Michelle was laughing; and Rebecca was shaking her head.

Allen sighed and stood up to his feet. His eyes then fired up for a new determination. "Alright, I will now execute my plan number three! That will surely make her feel sorry that she treated me like that. This plan will be extremely successful, of course. I put my brilliant mind into planning it last month!"

He nodded to himself then continued walking, glaring at Michelle on the way.

* * *

"Goodbye, then. Have a good time, you two!" Rio called out to Yuri and Hart.

"Alright, thanks!" Hart called out to her, too.

"I hope you and Allen… fix your argument soon… Mother said before… Harvest Goddess… gets sad if… couples fight…" Yuri said sleepily.

Rio smiled half heartedly and waved at them before setting off for the restaurant.

On the way, she was speaking to herself, evaluating her fight with her boyfriend. 'If I think about it, I'm the one at wrong… He's apologizing and yet here I am, being a snobby bastard…'

She sighed and slowed her pace, staring at the path dejectedly. 'Poor Allen… I don't think he deserves this much longer. I should really apologize to him.'

Before she had the chance to turn around and head to the salon, Tony stood in front of her, beaming brightly like a little sun. Rio gave him a sweet smile and crouched in front of him. "Hey there, Kiddo. What's up?" She asked him and patted his head gently.

"Rio! I have something for you." Tony held up his right hand that is holding a paper bag. "Alle—er… Someone told me to give this to you… He—I mean it told me not to tell you who it is! Just take this letters." He said and shoved the bag to Rio.

She took it with pleasure and peaked inside. It was full of envelopes neatly stacked inside. She picked one and examined it; there was no sender, just her name written on it. She smiled to herself. The almost slip-up of Tony gave her an idea where it came from.

"Well, Rio sis, I still have something for you. Here!" He removed his left hand from behind him and handed it to her. She took it away from him gently and unrolled the paper.

'A_ thousand words are what you deserve_

_Which only in letters do I have the nerve_

_To speak to you fully_

_The lines I have recited to myself beautifully_

_Mademoiselle, why do you have this impact_

_On me whether in writings or direct contact_

_Your grace makes me flabbergasted_

_And trample on my confidence which only in letters lasted'_

_P.S.: Up the stairs you go, the one where you lost your bow._

Rio's smile widened. She didn't know that she makes her boyfriend trip on his words in that state. Perhaps, he's really wiser in words than that? She shuddered at the thought. If he was more confident than that…

"Oh well." Rio said to herself as she rolled the parchment again and placed it in the bag. She turned to Tony and mouthed a thank you, ready to run off, but he held her again.

"Rio, take this long thing. I don't know what it is… Allen—oops… Don't tell him I mentioned…"

He handed her the long, beady string made of silk and pearls. Rio didn't take long before realizing what it is. "A lace. A wedding lace."She muttered to herself.

Tony stared at her curiously, looking like he wanted to ask what the long thing is for. Rio shook her head at him and placed the lace in her rucksack and pulled out a beetle. She handed it to Tony, who thanked her, and rushed off to her farm. She took a sharp turn to the right, where she stopped in front of the terraces. This is where she lost the expensive bow that Allen gave her before. It was for winning the chicken festival. She was so guilty back then that she locked herself for a whole day and he had to drag her off her bed to feed her and convince her that it was okay.

She snapped out of her thoughts and climbed up the first terrace level. Then, she saw Nico, wandering in circles on the highest terrace level. For a second, she wondered how he got there but shrugged the mean thought and jumped over the levels to the large boy.

"Hey Nico." She called out.

Nico jumped in shock and turned to her. When he realized it was just Rio, he relaxed. Then, he seemed to remember something as he jumped once again. "Oh! That's right, Rio-chan. Here!" He exclaimed happily and handed her a large stuffed bear holding orange flowers. The flowers were Orange Parrot Novelty Tulips, a very expensive tulip that is often used in expensive weddings. She felt guilty for making Allen go to all the trouble and blowing his wallet, which is highly unlikely considering the fact that he earns a lot and his parents are naturally rich.

Rio looked closely at the bear, testing something in her head as to why the toy is familiar. Then, it clicked. She beamed at Nico and then cradled the bear in her arms. The stuffed toy is definitely her

"Old Bear!" She squealed.

It was her stuffed toy that Allen gave to her the first Christmas that she had been present in Echo village three years ago. She thought she had lost the doll last year, having accidentally tossed it in the Goddess Pond while having fun with her boyfriend. She cried over it when they couldn't get it back, but Allen said to just forget about it and he'll buy her another one. Rio refused it, saying that nothing can ever replace the item that represented their 'love'. Tears almost welled in her eyes. Allen really went into all the trouble just to fetch the blue bear for her.

The tears didn't drop because Nico poked her cheek. She looked down at him and giggled at his happy face. "Yes, Nico?"

"I have something for you still." He pulled out another light-blue parchment and handed it to her.

She took the parchment and unrolled it. As she expected, there's another poem for her.

'_Tears streamed down your lovely face_

_Which I thought you will keep for how many days_

_Is that bear really important to you?_

_I hope so, it coming from your handsome beau'_

She smiled at the last sentence, he really still regards himself as high and mighty. She continued reading.

'_These flowers are for you_

_Representing your sunny nature, shows the hue_

_Although expensive it may be_

_I don't care, as long as my love you can see'_

_P.S.: You said she's my sibling. I told you not, my darling._

The clue was very simple for her. When she first met Yuri, she immediately thought that they were siblings and she excitedly went over to him to announce that his sister was there. Turns out, he actually didn't know Yuri and they had fought over the fact. She was so convinced of the resemblance back then.

She laughed and patted Nico on the head. She put the parchment and Old Bear in her rucksack and pulled out a candy. She handed it over to the boy, which took it with great pleasure. They exchanged thank yous and goodbyes before she turned on her heels and ran over to Yuri's house.

She's now in front of her best friend and sibling's house. She pushed door open, not bothering to knock since they already told her to treat the house as her own. After she's already inside, she looked around the house and was greeted by Yuri, Hart, and their son, they were watching TV. Rio greeted back and went over to Yuo, the kid who has dark-pink hair and chocolate eyes and handed him a boxed cheesecake, which he thanked for and handed to his father.

"Aunt Rio!" Yuo jumped out of the sofa and hugged Rio. He then went over to Yuri and whispered something to her.

Yuri nodded her head and stood up. She walked over to the drawers at the corner of the house and pulled a large box. She then went over to Rio and handed it to her.

"This box… Open it…" She said.

Rio raised an eyebrow and shifted her gaze to the big ebony box. She cocked her head to the side and gently raised the lid. She almost dropped the box. She carefully lifted the cloth with one hand, feeling the soft and silky material. She raised it to eye level and her eyes twinkled in adoration. The dress must have been the most beautiful gown she'd ever seen in her life. It was too magnificent to describe.

"Velvet… Gown made of velvet... Perfect for royal weddings… Allen loves you too much… Expensive…" Yuri said softly as she and her family watched Rio put the dress back and lifted another silky material. It looked like a bunch of spider webs intricately woven together to form beautiful details. It felt like it's going to rip off if she put a little force in it.

"Veil… A wedding veil… Strong… It won't rip." Yuri whispered.

Rio laughed a bit and sniffed tears of joy. She closed the lid again and noticed a piece of parchment taped at the front. She picked it up and read it.

'_You should know who I am by now… If not, then you disappoint me, Princess. Anyway… Remember that one night when you decided to stay at my house? You said it was cozy. Of course it is, since I own that and my presence is in it. Anyway, you asked me what I think about marriage after we watched a movie. I said something long and wise back then, which you didn't catch because it was too advanced. I actually just blabbed about that to evade further discussion. Forgive me. Now, here's what I really think. _

_I intend to marry you._

_And I want it to be a spectacular wedding. The most enticing in history, of course. The kind of wedding that will fit our glory. I don't want to have wedlock for peasants…_

_But of course, that would have to wait. I'm not ready to have children yet. But let me tell you, I want to have eight children, is that clear? I also would like to have twins… So that would make it ten._

_Just be ready, that's why I already prepared your dress for you. I suppose it would be sometime next year._

_P.S.: Run to the place where my favorite kiddy girl lives.'_

Rio blushed at the message. How could he write something like that without being embarrassed? She didn't bother thinking about it. Her boyfriend's confidence is unbelievable.

She folded the parchment neatly and stuffed it with utmost care in her rucksack, along with the paper bag earlier and the box. She then said goodbye to the Tomlinson family and ran to Hina's house.

After she arrived at their house, she saw Hina and Charles having some Father-Daughter time. She smiled at the two and suddenly pictured Allen playing with their child. She shook off the thoughts with a blush and then approached Hina.

"Hi, Hina-chan. Hi, Charles." She said and then pulled a moondrop flower from her rucksack.

"Hi, Rio-nee." She greeted back and gratefully took the flower from Rio's hands.

"Hello there, Rio." Charles greeted back, too. "Hina, my dear, are you forgetting something?"

The little girl looked at her father with a questioning look. They exchanged some kind of telepathic conversation and Hina raised a finger in realization. "Ah! That's right." She then rummaged something out of her pocket and showed it to Rio. "Rio-nee! Allen told me to give this to you."

Rio cocked her head to the side. She took the small box from Hina and placed it on her palm. She examined the red box carefully, wondering what it is. Giving up on guessing from the box, she opened it slowly and was almost blinded by the sparkle. She rubbed her eyes for a bit and examined the thing inside.

It was a ring. Almost similar to the one she has on her left hand, except that the new one was much prettier and is made up of a pink diamond. Her mouth formed an o with awe. Hina and Charles got curious, so they took a look at it.

"Daddy! It's a pretty ring!" Hina exclaimed and tugged on her father's sleeve.

Charles chuckled and patted his daughter's head. "Yes, Hina. That's an expensive one. Oh, and it's no ordinary ring, Rio. Completely different from a promise ring, too. That's called an engagement ring. It's used in other countries to propose instead of a blue feather." He explained.

Rio's eyes grew wide and she turned her head to Charles. "Does that mean?.."

Charles chuckled a bit. "If we were in a different country, yes. But unfortunately, our tradition here is a blue feather. So practically, that's no more than a beautified version of your promise ring right now."

Rio pouted and sighed. "And I thought he was just joking in that message…" She mumbled to herself.

Rio then remembered something. She looked at Hina expectantly. "Hina, do you have another thing with you?"

Hina shook her head. Rio sighed again. Perhaps this was the end to the little game. Rio hung her head low and started to exit when Charles called out again.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. Allen told me to tell you the words 'favorite place'. I suppose he's telling you to go to—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Rio's already gone. The father and daughter laughed heartily. "Oh. The romance of youth…"

Rio ran towards the Goddess Pond as fast as her legs can carry. She had a hunch that this is it, the place where she'll meet her loved one. She had so many words to say, so many kisses to give. She'll definitely forgive him the very second she sees him, and scream she loves him as loud as she could. She'll definitely hug him so hard that he'll die of suffocation, but of course she'll never kill him, she loves him too much for that. She'll definitely thank him for everything that he gave her, for all the troubles that he went for her, for spending more than necessary just for her. But of course, she'll never whine about how he didn't have to spend so much for her, he hates that; he claims that nothing expensive in this world can ever match her sapphire eyes. And, as much as she doesn't want to admit it, she'll perhaps be willing to give Allen her everything tonight…

She blushed madly at the thought and tried to remove the thoughts from her head. But she couldn't. She couldn't stop imagining herself in Allen's arms, being caressed with so much love and gentleness. Soft kisses running through her bare neck, her clavicle, her…

She slapped herself. "Stop thinking like a pervert, Rio!" She yelled to herself. "You are not having your first time tonight! Not until you get married first…"

She stopped her self-war. She's here already. But, there's no sign of a redheaded hair stylist around. Was he kidding with her? Something paranoid is starting to run through her head, but she forgot about them when she saw a large box in front of the pond. A box large enough to hide a dead body in it… Rio rolled her eyes at herself. Of course there won't be a dead body there.

She went near the box and examined it. There's another poem delicately taped to the lid. Now that she was aware, Allen's handwriting is actually really elegant… It looked like it was a printed Chopin Script font, but it's not. She read it out loud, for the Harvest Goddess to hear, and smiled.

'_Your beauty overwhelms me_  
_As I wrap my arms around you__  
__I press your softness tight__  
__Great passion fills my inner being__  
__I'm captured in your embrace__  
__Your eyes control my very soul__  
__The touch of your lips, heaven__  
__Forever frozen in time__  
__All else fades into nothing_

_Here's my love, take it. Here's my soul, use it. _

_Here's my heart, don't break it. _

_Here's my hand, hold it and together we will make it forever.'_

Rio stood there, frozen for a minute, fighting back tears. It definitely touched her, she could feel it through her veins. Allen's love is real, that's for sure. She eyed the pond intently and smiled as she saw the water glitter and ripple. The Goddess appeared and winked at her, then disappeared again. It seems that she agreed on Rio's thoughts about Allen's love being real. She wiped away a stray tear and opened the box.

Rio gasped. The content of the box can surely make any girl faint. It was full, literally full and overflowing of red and white roses and Chocopologie chocolates. On top of the piles of chocos and roses at the middle is a heart-shaped box, wrapped and ribboned exquisitely with a combination of blue and white. She picked it gingerly and pulled the ribbon carefully with the intent of not ruining it and wrapping it around her flower vase. She unwrapped it and opened the box. Her mouth watered.

Inside was an incredibly attractive chocolate cake that is tempting her to eat immediately. But, something is telling her to put it inside her rucksack and save it for later, which she did.

She then went back to observing the contents. She picked up a piece of chocolate and a pair of red and white roses. The roses are definitely fresh and well-cared for. The petals looked so rich and plump that she actually had a thought in her mind to eat them. She laughed at herself for that. Again, she stared at the roses. 'Red roses… Wait, they're not simply red. They're dark red. Dark red roses means… Deep passion, readiness for a commitment, intense love, unconscious beauty…' She smiled dreamily. 'And white… White roses stand for purity and innocence, everlasting love, "I am worthy of you", marriages and new beginnings…'

She smiled again and shook her head slowly. Tears are threatening her eyes once more. What is up with today and tears? Allen. She stared at the big box with loving eyes and suddenly felt guilty after seeing the chocolates. 'Chocopologie… One of the most expensive chocolates in the world… The tastiest existing. He knows I love chocolates, but I didn't ask for something extremely expensive!.. And he bought a bigbox-full of it! Everything he gave me today is extremely expensive… He's definitely blowing his wallet! Well, he definitely asked his parents money for all of these but… argh! That made me even more guilty!..'

Rio sniffed and rubbed her eyes. 'I don't deserve something like this… This is too much!.. I'm just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family who owned a big farm but…'

She stopped her emotional thoughts when she saw and heard the Chocopologies and the Roses move. She eyed the pile suspiciously and neared her face to it. And, as fast as Allen would snip a piece of hair, something soft connected with her lips. She almost screamed and pushed the intruder away but decided against it when she realized what and who it was.

It was Allen who emerged from the big box.

Rio smiled into Allen's lips and snaked her hands from his chest to his soft hair, entwining the left one with his red hair and the right one around his neck. His left hand cupped her cheek while his right wrapped around her tiny waist. They stayed like that for about seven seconds before Allen broke it up. Rio looked at him with questioning eyes, he chuckled at her.

"Found out the secret message now?" He asked her.

She cocked her head to the left, wondering what he was talking about. Then, nothing came out. She shook her head and stared at him with curious eyes.

He laughed a bit and patted her head. "I shouldn't have expected you to figure something so advanced…" She glared at him. He laughed again. "Alright, alright. Tell me, what are the gifts? In order."

Rio stared at him and started evaluating the gifts. "Um… Letters, Lace, Old Bear…" She grinned at him, he smirked back. She continued. "Orange Parrot Novelty Tulips, Velvet Gown, Veil, and then an Engagement Ring…"

Allen mouthed a very good and smiled. "Now, pick out the first letter of each item. Don't repeat a letter."

"L... O… V… E…"

"Good. Now, what do we call each other? What is the occasion wherein all those items are present?"

Rio's eyes watered and she grinned joyfully. "Love, Wedding..."

"Yes, sooner than you think, my beloved princess." He held her tighter. She grasped his clothes.

"So, you forgive me?" Allen whispered smoothly in her ear.

Rio shuddered and smirked playfully. "If you kiss me again, then I will…"

He licked his lips and smiled genuinely and started leaning in again. But before they could start making out, the wind suddenly blew, carrying the beautiful cherry blossoms with it. But what's quite abnormal was that the wind was sparkling, like glitters caught in the wind. The couple stood frozen and admired the scenery. Then, Allen snapped his fingers in Rio's face. She gave him a questioning look and he pointed up. Rio looked at what he's pointing at and gasped. Her glassy eyes fixed on the falling thing, and her gaze suddenly shifted to Allen, who moved from his stance and into a one-knee kneel. "Princess, my love for you never dies, like a candle that never goes out. My love for you burns on and on." He sucked in air and raised his right hand to the air and caught the thing. It was a blue feather. He offered it to Rio. "Please say yes as I ask you this… Sweet angel of Goddess, pure precious dove… Will you marry me, my love?"

Rio just stood there, unmoving, dumbstruck. Then, a tear from her right eye slid down her cheek, and soon followed by more tears, now streaming. She curled her lips and began sobbing uncontrollably. Allen awkwardly remained in his stance, battling on standing to comfort her or not. But, he needn't stand, for Rio already flung herself into his arms and cried in his chest. He stroked her hair lovingly and ran his fingers through her curls, feeling every soft detail.

"B-b-but… hic… you said that… hic hic… youdunwannamarrymeeeeeeeeeee !.. Waaaaaaaahhhhhh…..!"

Allen laughed a muffled one in her hair and peeled her off his chest. "Who said I don't? I said I'll marry you next year. And I was joking on that part. And no, I was not joking on every other thing. You should be proud, really. I'm already praising you too much."

Rio cried another fit. He embraced her and slowly lifted her off the ground. "So… What would it be?.. Well, I think I know what your answer is since you wouldn't possibly resist my—"

He was cut off by Rio locking her lips with his. She tackled him so hard that they fell to the Goddess pond. But, that didn't stop her from kissing him. He laughed into her lips and held her even tighter.

"This deserves a nature party!" Yelled a familiar voice.

The couple broke apart and looked at the voice. And sure enough, there was the Harvest Goddess, giggling at them.

Rio's mouth flew open in shock and looked at the Harvest Goddess then to her fiancé, and then back. "M-m-my love? You can..?"

Allen peeled his eyes from the Goddess and smirked at Rio. "Yep, born with the ability." He said to her.

Rio just stared at him in shock.

"Ohh ho ho ho! Only a few chosen can see me, you know. And most of them seemed to end up with each other… Jamie and Tina, Angela and Gill, and now you two… Oh well! Let's start the engagement party!"

With a snap of her fingers, the wind and cherry blossoms danced around, the waters started doing exhibitions, the plants and trees swayed, and the wild animals came out and started dancing around. Even Alice and Aaron started dancing in the middle.

The Harvest Goddess clapped her hands together and looked expectantly at the two. "Now, would the couple show us a kiss?"

All the animals and the Harvest Sprites stopped to look at them with anticipation. Allen looked over at Rio. "Shall we?" He asked.

Rio shrugged and giggled. "Sure."

They looked at each other with genuine love, and Rio placed her hands on his chest and stared lovingly into his steel-blue eyes. Then, she whispered to him in a soft voice: "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."


End file.
